Budget padding is legitimate- Lawmaker

The Chairman House of Representative Committee on Legislative Compliance, Abiodun Olasupo has said that ‘budget padding’ remains a constitutional responsibility of the legislative arm of government and as such, the accusation against the Speaker, Yakubu Dogora does not hold any water.

Olasupo, representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/ Iwajowa federal constituency said against public outcry, the House of Representatives did not err in the current ‘budget padding’ controversy

speaking during the inspection of some his zonal intervention projects and federal government projects within his constituency on Wednesday in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, he said Sections 80 and 81 of the Nigeria constitution, guarantees the lawmakers the Powers to alter the Budget Proposals‎.

Loading...

The lawmaker argued that budgets presented by the executive arm of government do not often reflect true federal character hence the need for ‘padding’‎.

“If you look at the Nigeria Constitution, what Honourable AbdulMuminin Jibrin refers to as padding is tantamount to what the constitution defines as the function of a member of House of Representative because the constitution guarantees the three major function of making law, appropriation, and over sight.

“In appropriation, it is either for us to add, subtract or change and what Hon Jibrin has been trying to say is that we are changing, inserting and adding. So if that is what he calls padding, then that is what the constitution expects the house of representative to do.

“In my own opinion, being an active member during the budget defence, I was involved in the budgeting system of up to six ministries. I participated in FERMA, NAVY, health institutions, governmental agencies and a whole lot of them. The entire budgeting system makes it possible that if you are elected as a member of national assembly and you are not ready to do what Muminin Jibrin calls padding, then you are a failure. Because, basically the budget that is being brought to the national assembly does not reflect the principle of federal character as guaranteed by the constitution,” he said.

‎While noting that all projects and employments from the executive should be done in a way that it reflects all parts of Nigeria, Olasupo asked, “But what do we get in the budget? You will see a misappropriated distribution of projects and basically if you look at it reflects mostly on where the minister is coming from since it is the executive that brings in the budget.”

“I am not saying somebody is wrong or right, but I do not see what is bad in attracting projects to my constituency. For the first time in the history of this country, a budget presented by the executive was reduced when a president personally presented the budget to the national assembly personally. It means that we are shifting away from impunity, and corruption that has characterised the government of the past.”

All Rights Reserved. This Material And Any Other Material On THE DAILYBELLS NIGERIA Should Not Be Reproduced, Published Broadcast, Written Or Distributed In Full Or In Part, Without Written Permission From The Editor/CEO..